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Michael Latner, Kendall Science Fellow | April 14, 2021, 2:50 pm EDT
As the country continues to process the violent attack on the Capitol, and restrictions on voting rights gain strength across state legislatures, we must take account of the role and responsibility that scientists play in securing our freedoms and prosperity.
Why scientists need democracy
Great scientific advances have been made under authoritarian regimes. Western universities grew out of the Dark Ages under the authority of the church, the Soviet Union took an early lead in space exploration, and China’s technological advances continue to shift the tectonic plates of geopolitical competition. But science under religious and political authority is science under fear of, or in service to, that authority. Galileo’s trial may be the most famous example, but consider the tribulations of Mary Anning, Alan Turing, or coun
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